pip. ?fo^* 2^/' JOHN H. KERR RESERVOIR BASIN — ^MILLER 171 



it was part of a Clarksville Plain vessel or a Clarksville Fabric- 

 Impressed vessel whose neck and rim sections were smoothed. 



Pmictations have been noted mostly on sherds of Clarksville Plain 

 and only rarely on Clarksville Fabric-Impressed and Clarksville 

 Combed. Usually, such treatment was delimited by incised lines to 

 form horizontally placed zones or was confined within triangular 

 areas. Punctations may vary in diameter from 2.0 mm. to 3.0 mm. 

 These were made either with a hollow tube or some sort of a solid tool. 

 In plate 66, c, d, e, and ^, it appears that the punctations were made 

 by means of either a hollow grass stem, a small reed, or a small bone, 

 while those illustrated in a, 6, and / of this plate were made with a 

 solid object; ff shows a row of triangular pyramidal punctations, 

 which originally occurred around the neck portions of a large olla, 

 and h is unique m that a small ridge of clay was first built up and 

 then slashed or gashed by some sharp-pointed tool or bladed object. 



WEAVING 



The art of weaving dates back to the inception of culture, and its 

 progress, along with various cultural changes, is reflected in the dif- 

 ferent materials utilized. The skill manifested is not always indica- 

 tive of the degree of culture attained. Practically nothing is known of 

 the skills and techniques of the aborigines of Virginia, but Adair 

 (1775, pp. 422-423) briefly described the Indians of the Carolinas per- 

 forming this art during the latter part of the 18th century. He 

 states : 



Formerly, the Indians made very handsome carpets. They have a wild hemp 

 that grows about six feet high, in open, rich, level lands, and which usually 

 ripens in .July ; it is plenty on our frontier settlements. When it is fit for use, 

 they pull, steep, peel, and beat it; and the old women spin it off the distaffs, 

 with wooden machines, having some clay on the middle of them, to hasten the 

 motion. When the coarse thread is prepared, they put it into a frame about six 

 feet square and instead of a shuttle, they thrust through the thread with a long 

 cane, having a large string, through the web, which they shift at every second 

 course of the thread. When they have thus finished their arduous labour, they 

 paint each side of the carpet with such figures, of various colours, as their 

 fruitful imaginations devise; particularly the images of those birds and beasts 

 they are acquainted with; and liliewise of themselves, acting in their social, 

 and martial stations. There is that due proportion, and so much mild variety 

 in the design, that would really strike a curious eye with pleasure and admira- 

 tion. J. W — t, Esq; a most skillful linguist in the Muskhoge dialect, assures 

 me, that time out of mind, they passed the woof with a shuttle ; and they have 

 a couple of threddles, which they move with the hand so as to enable them to 

 make good dispatch, something after the manner of our weaving. This is suf- 

 ficiently confirmed by their method of working broad garters, sashes, shot 

 pouches, broad belts and the like, which are decorated all over with beautiful 

 stripes and chequers. . . . 



... In the winter season, the women gather buffalo's hair, a sort of coarse 

 brown curled wool ; and having spun it as fine as they can, and properly doubled 



